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How I Used My Love Language To Practice Self-Love
Self-love has been at the forefront of many conversations to date. For generations, women of color have had to put their self-love on the backend. Our mothers and grandmothers were feeding love into their children, grandchildren, husbands, and community while overlooking their own. Sadly, as their daughters, the cycle of giving all our love and remaining "strong" continues in our hearts to this day. Growing up, my mother showered everyone with love except herself.
As I got older and began dating, I found myself giving all my love to men who didn't know how to love me. For years, I felt highly unfilled in my relationships. As time went on, I realized how much pressure I put on others to love me because I didn't know how to love myself.
Fast forward to a new self-loving and self-aware version of myself. Knowing my love language and using it as a tool to fill my cup has been my most significant flex. I am no longer co-dependent on others to make me feel whole, loved, and accepted.
Here is my journey to using my love language (physical touch) to practice self-love.
Touch My Body
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Since my love language is physical touch, I genuinely enjoy self-care practices that incorporate such. Massages have been a great self-care practice that allow me to connect with myself. The warmth of massage oils touching my skin fulfills my inner child. As a little girl, I lacked the warmth of a mother's touch. Getting massages allows me to feel the warmth I craved for so long.
Touching my body in ways that give me warmth helps me immensely. I enjoy using coconut oil, warming it with my hands, and massaging it into my skin. This method allows me to take time to connect with myself genuinely. I've realized through this simple practice, I feel more empowered physically communicating with myself and my needs. I have also not sought out relationships that are purely physical.
Breathing Into Validation
I know some people don't see deep breathing as a physical touch practice. I disagree with this narrative. I believe breathing in general can be a very loving and healing practice. Deep breathing can also be a tremendous physical touch practice if you choose to incorporate it.
I generally start by finding a comfortable position, either sitting up or laying down. I slowly begin to take deep breaths and incorporate a four-count—breathing-in for four counts and exhaling four counts.
Now, here's where it gets real. During my in-depth breathing sessions, I think of my triggers. I ask myself: What has triggered me in the past or present? And where do I feel that on my body? Wherever I feel the hurt on my body is where I place my hand.
This healing practice has helped me acknowledge any pain, hurt, or emotional trauma I have encountered in my journey. I validate myself so others don't have to.
Sun-Kissed
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Girl, I craved hugs and kisses as a child, so why not let mother nature do it? Mother nature is a beautiful way to connect with yourself. She helps us find answers when we are lost, peace when life is chaotic, and heal us when we feel broken. She loves and accepts us in every season of our life. During my season of healing, I turned to her.
This may sound a bit cliche, but I love letting the sun kiss my skin. When my touch isn't enough, I will take advantage of going for a nature walk in my local neighborhood park. Having the sun's warmth on my skin is mother nature hugging me (in my head). Through my walks in nature, I've learned that sometimes all a dying rose needs is a little bit of sun to bloom again.
Final Thoughts
Taking time to learn the way I receive love has been a healing experience. I have noticed a massive difference in the way I carry myself in my relationships. For example, I no longer seek only a physical connection with someone because I can fulfill that need for myself. Therefore, my relationships have gotten more profound with a greater purpose.
Through this experiment, I've learned that learning your love language will bring you closer to yourself. In return, you're more likely to step into the world as your most aligned self.
Learning to love yourself is a feeling that won't ever expire, let you down, hurt you, or break up with you. Learning to love yourself is the greatest timeless reward you'll ever receive.
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Featured image by Shutterstock
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This article is sponsored by Hulu.
UnPrisonedhas returned for its highly anticipated second season, delving deeper into the complex dynamics of the Alexander family.
The series premiere comes a year after its debut season garnered rave reviews from fans and critics and earned record-breaking ratings for Hulu's Onyx Collective brand. UnPrisoned's success can be attributed to its raw, relatable themes and comedic appeal.
Inspired by creator Tracy McMillan's life, the show follows Paige (Kerry Washington), a therapist and single mother whose life takes an unexpected turn when her father, Edwin (Delroy Lindo) --who was released from prison-- moves in with her and her teenage son, Finn (Faly Rakotohavana).
Throughout UnPrisoned's first season, viewers witnessed how Edwin's incarceration deeply affected Paige's life and relationships. In the series, Paige unpacks her trauma through interactions with her inner child and her online followers. Meanwhile, Edwin is overcoming specific struggles with his own past that led to his life of crime, including a dysfunctional upbringing and his mother's arrest. As the Alexanders attempt to reconcile, new challenges arise.
This new season promises to further explore their unconventional family dynamic. Here are several compelling reasons why season two of UnPrisoned should be on everyone's watchlist.
The Alexander Family Life Is Still In Shambles
UnPrisoned's second season resumes where the series left off, with Paige grappling with the fallout from her troubled therapy practice and Edwin navigating life independently after moving out. Meanwhile, Finn faces his own challenges. The teenager is battling anxiety and seeking information about his father—a topic Paige avoids discussing.
The Alexander Family Are Attending Therapy To Resolve Their Underlying Issues
Amid the chaos in their lives, the Alexander family decides to mend their bond by confronting their past traumas. They seek professional help and attend therapy sessions with a “family radical healing coach,” played by John Stamos, a new cast member. This collective effort aims to unravel the complexities of their shared history and strengthen their relationships.
The process of unraveling each character's internal conflicts and their potential impact on future relationships may clash with Paige's textbook therapy approach. While Paige is used to being in the therapist's seat in both career and family, this forces her into the unfamiliar role of a patient during therapy sessions. This shift would compel her to look in the mirror and try a radically different approach.
The Alexander Family Learned A Big Lesson During A Therapy Session
In therapy, the Alexanders are tasked with addressing their individual traumas to salvage their remaining relationships. One of the family therapist’s eccentric suggestions was an exercise involving a family wrestling match. During this session, Paige faces tough questions about her refusal to share information about Finn's father.
While it's unclear whether this scene is reality or fantasy, the image of the family duking it out in the ring certainly makes for hilarious yet compelling television.
Paige Tries Dating Again Following Failed Relationships
Amid her life's chaos, Paige decides to step back into the dating field. However, her many attempts have left her with mixed results. The dating apps have turned out to be a fail, and an outing with her ex Mal (Marque Richardson), who is also her father's parole officer, doesn’t go quite as expected after he brings an unexpected guest – his new girlfriend.
The situation takes an awkward turn when Mal's new partner learns why the former couple split, partly due to Paige's self-sabotage.
UnPrisoned Is A Perfect Balance Of Comedy And Drama
As a dramedy, UnPrisoned takes a comedic approach to its heavy subjects. The show takes us on a ride with Paige's dating misadventures and navigating a friendship with her ex.
Other lighthearted moments include Edwin's attempts at CPR based on online videos and, of course, the antics of the Alexander family's unconventional new healing coach.
The second season of UnPrisoned is now available on Hulu.
UnPrisoned | Season 2 Trailer | Hulu
Feature image courtesy
Blair Underwood Initially Turned Down 'Sex And The City' Because 'It Was About How Samantha Was Fascinated By Dating A Black Man’
Actor and heartthrob Blair Underwood is opening up about why he turned down Sex and the City the first time he was offered a role. Many fans of the HBO series may recall Blair's time on the show in which his character was dating Miranda (Cynthia Nixon). However, he was previously offered another role where his character would date Samantha (Kim Cattrall).
During his interview with AV Club, the Set It Off star revealed that he was uncomfortable with the initial offer due to the character's fascination with him being a Black man.
“I actually did say ‘no’ the first time,” he said. “The first time they had offered the role, to be honest with you, it was about how Samantha was fascinated by dating a Black man and wanted to know if, uh, all of the rumors were true about our anatomy! And I said, ‘Listen, I’m honored, thank you, but I just don’t want to play a character based on race, on curiosity about a Black man.'”
But that didn't stop them from reaching out again. This time he was offered to play Dr. Robert Leeds, the love interest to Miranda and he decided to go for it. "So they were nice enough to call about a year later, and I said, 'Well, is it gonna be about race?' And they said, 'No, no, no, we’re not even gonna mention race!' And I think it really did only come up maybe once," he recalled.
"It did five episodes, and I think Samantha mentioned it once, saying something about 'a Black doctor' that Miranda was dating. And that’s really been a consistent thing in my career: not wanting to be boxed as 'the Black guy.'
"I’ve had that conversation with many producers along the way, and they were so great. They said, 'No, he’s just a doctor who Miranda meets in the elevator, and they have a nice little fling.' And it was amazing."
Blair has had a wide-ranging career playing everything from a lawyer on L.A. Law to playing Madame CJ Walker's husband on Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madame CJ Walker. And during his interview, he revealed another role that he initially turned down, Set It Off. The movie, which is considered a classic in Black culture, stars Queen Latifah, Jada Pinkett Smith, Vivica A. Fox, and Kimberly Elise. Blair's character, Keith, played a banker and love interest to Jada's character, Stony.
He explained why he said no at first and eventually accepted the offer. "I had initially said “no” to that. Because I was playing this historic, iconic African-American historical figure in Jackie Robinson, and the time, y’know, there was Boyz N The Hood, and Menace II Society was out there, and I’d finished playing this noble Negro… [Laughs]," he said.
"And I’m reading the script, and there’s a scene where Jada Pinkett’s character—Jada Pinkett-Smith now—was going to sell her body so she could make some money to send her brother to college. And I remember, honestly, I threw the script across the room. I was, like, “I don’t want to do this. I want to do something uplifting for the Black culture and Black characters, and I don’t know if I want to see this.”
After a conversation with the movie's director F. Gary Gray and the actor's manager encouraging him to finish reading the script, Blair had a change of heart. What he first thought about the movie turned out to be totally different.
"So I finished the script, and I saw that the character they were asking me to play was really the love story in the midst of all of this turmoil of all of these characters, the four ladies: Queen Latifah, Vivica Fox, Kimberly Elise, and Jada," he explained.
"It was so well-written, it was such a great platform for them. And to be able to play the love story and the storyline that gave Jada’s character a leg up and a way out of this world, something to hope for, to wish for, someone to love her… I said, 'You know what? I’d like to be a part of that.'
"And I’m so glad I did, because that film resonates to this day. People all the time come up to me and say that they love that movie. So I’m glad that I did it."